Ruminations and Fulminations on Communication

Compared to other Americans, are Minnesotans more intellectual in their media choices? More conservative? Liberal? Business minded? Worldly?

Or are they sophmoric wise asses?

It appears the latter. A recent Forbes analysis says that stereotypically stoic, humorless Minnesotans are disproportionately likely to be readers and sharers of, drumroll please:

The Onion.

Yes, The Onion, the self-styled “America’s Finest News Source.” For those of you who aren’t real Minnesotans who are familiar with The Onion, it is a satirical news publication that currently features such fine journalism as:

The Onion was born in Madison, Wisconsin, started by former editors of the Daily Cardinal, the oldest daily at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. After many years, The Onion moved to NYC. So Minnesota is following Wisconsin’s lead, apparently (though it’s now an East Coast institution).

Did the analysis check to see how many readers realize the Onion is satiric? Years ago Keillor did an essay, “Forty Second in Hot Sauce,” pointing out that Minnesota came in even behind Iowa in the consumption of irony.

Oh, and PM did you see the story about the administrator in the Lutheran college who claimed the Jesus was his best friend, but when the Onion interviewed Jesus, it turned out he didn’t really like the guy.

Wise asses? More like just “wise.” Favorite headline: On the selection of George W. Bush for president by the Supreme Court, the Onion headlined, “Bush: ‘Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace And Prosperity Is Finally Over'”.